Kids, too, have rights in Sweden

Kids, too, have rights in Sweden

Kids, too, have rights in Sweden

Posted: 24 Jan 2014 08:03 AM PST

STOCKHOLM: "CHILDREN are the responsibility of society", said a taxi driver while taking me to my destination in the Swedish capital here.

"We are not allowed to smack them. If they have problems, we have to reason with them and have a dialogue to understand their problems.

"Neighbours and teachers have the right to report if they suspect that the children have been subjected to any kind of violence, physical or emotional," said the driver, who came from Finland, where children's protection laws are more stringent.

Zainal Abu Khair and his wife, Aryati Anuar, who have been living and working here with their six children for the past six years, said children here had their own rights above that of their parents, even their teachers. This is evident from the book, Barnets Rattigheter or Children's Rights, which is given when the children first go to school.

Zainal, a project manager with Electrolux, said a child had the right to lock himself or herself in a room, and parents did have the right to tell them not to do so. However, parents were not allowed to lock them in their rooms.

"Although we were not told about these strict laws protecting the children when we first came to this country, we could see how the people here treat their children."

He narrated an incident at a toyshop, where a 3-year-old child was screaming and rolling on the floor because he couldn't get the toy he wanted.

"Everyone could hear and see the child screaming, but the father calmly reasoned with the boy why he couldn't have the toy."

Zainal and his wife came to Sweden when their youngest child was only a year old. At the childcare centre, Aryati noticed the level of care given to each child.

"The level of patience is amazing. A child was crying continuously but the teacher sat down and dealt with her calmly and patiently," said Aryati, a mathematics graduate, who is studying to be a teacher.

In her practical work, she learnt how the school system put priority on the welfare of the children, not just academically but also their well- being at home.

"Every week, there will be a mentor time, where the teacher will suss out any problems the children are facing at home. The teacher who suspects that the child is having problems at home will discuss the matter with other teachers who teach the same child.

"The warden will be notified and an investigation will take place. The case will then be brought to the reactor or head teacher and from then on, action will be taken. An action is not taken based on just one opinion."

Parents also have to explain if the dentists detect bad hygiene.

Zainal said teachers usually detected children with problems during their parent-teacher meetings.

"For example, the teacher will ask the child, 'when are you (the) happiest at home?' The child will then answer, 'when my parents hug me'. That will be followed by another question, 'when do you feel sad at home?' This is the time when a child tends to voice out everything.

"It is the teacher's responsibility to understand why a child is sad or depressed.

"If the teacher suspects a student is smoking or in possession of drugs, he or she does not have the right to search the bag. All the teacher can do is to call the police."

Karim Abdul Jalil, who hitchhiked in the 1970s with two friends, had been living in Sweden for 39 years.

He returned to Malaysia to get married and brought his wife, Normah Aman, to start their family. The eldest is now 30 years old.

"When there are newcomers, I try to tell them about the do's and don'ts when living here, and the strict laws pertaining to children and women," said Karim, a chef.

He said the best way to bring up children was to treat them as adults and solve problems through discussions and dialogues.

While the locals are aware of the rights of the children and the strict laws protecting them, this does not mean that the locals do not hit or smack their children.

"Almost every day, there is a story about parents being taken to court. When parents are convicted of child abuse, the children will be placed in foster care. Once released, there is a different process to regain custody of the children. They have to make an appeal," said Karim.

Zainal Abu Khair and his wife, Aryati Anuar, at their home in Stockholm. They say children in Sweden have more rights than parents. Pix by Zaharah Othman

NST 'tastefully' wraps up 5D campaign

Posted: 24 Jan 2014 08:01 AM PST

25 January 2014| last updated at 11:29PM
By ASYRAF ABDUL SAMAD | news@nst.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: READERS were able to enjoy a tasty experience     with the  New Straits Times    in the final day of its   5D sensory campaign yesterday.   

Yesterday's edition of NST offered a coupon within its pages that could be used to redeem a can of Wonda coffee at 7-Eleven outlets for only 10 sen.

The coupon proved to be effective in attracting customers, with some readers buying multiple copies of yesterday's paper.

Sheerin Chew, 48, who bought four copies, said: "It is such a bargain to be able to buy coffee for 10 sen. How can I pass it up?"

M. Leela Wati, 60, said the campaign was effective because of the connection that coffee had with newspaper-reading.

"If there is anything that news readers would like with their daily paper, it would be coffee.

"Coffee has always complemented newspaper-reading for me. I think the same can be said for the rest of my family."

The 5D campaign that began with the launch of Wonda, a Japanese premium ready-to-drink coffee from Pernais Sandilands, engaged readers through the five senses of touch, sight, sound, smell and taste.

The sense of touch was featured in Monday's edition of NST, where a pop-up advertisement featuring three varieties of Wonda coffee was included as a pull-out page.

Tuesday's edition impressed readers' sense of sight by featuring 3D images in the paper, with complimentary 3D glasses provided with each copy.

Siti Rosli Reza, 30, marvelled at the idea, saying: "This is the future of advertising".

Wednesday's edition, dubbed the "talking newspaper", came with a small, chipped device implanted among the pages, which played music when exposed to light.

Palestinian expatriate and Palestinian Cultural Organisation chairman Muslim Imran, 30, praised NST for taking a new approach.

"This is what I call 'thinking outside the box'."

Thursday's edition catered to readers' sense of smell, with the fragrance of roasted coffee beans perfuming the cover page.

The New Straits Times Press Head of Advertising Roche Chew said NST was the first in the country to create a 3D newspaper in November 2011 and the first to create a "talking" newspaper in February 2012.

"What we experienced in the paper in the past week is a combination of what has been done previously, plus additional features."

He said the partnership between Wonda and NSTP was aimed at changing the public's perception of newspapers and reposition print media's standing away from "traditional" advertisements.

"There is a lot you can do with newspapers, as long as you are willing to explore.

"We are open to partners who would like to work with us in promoting their products and campaigns by utilising different combinations of the five sensory techniques.

"We might even try something different that we have yet to explore."

The 5D campaign has been touted as the most innovative print-enabled advertising campaign.

Mohammad Aminudin Othman presenting coupons included in NST to buy Wonda coffee for 10 sen each at a 7-Eleven outlet in Kuantan yesterday. Pic by Halim Mat Ali

Boat sinks, man missing

Posted: 24 Jan 2014 08:01 AM PST

25 January 2014| last updated at 12:14AM

 AN OIL palm plantation supervisor is feared drowned after a longboat ferrying 18 longhouse residents capsized  en route to a funeral in Sungai Sian,  here, yesterday.

The missing man has been identified as Kenny anak Bisa, from Rh Usop, Sungai Sian.

He was among those on the way to bury an elderly female relative at the Iban cemetery in Nanga Bangkit, Selidap, when the longboat was hit by waves from a passing vessel at 6.50am.

Seventeen others who swam to safety were rescued by passing boats.

A search and rescue operation mounted by the Fire and Rescue Department, police, Rela, the Civil Defence Department and fellow longhouse folk was under way.

This was the second tragedy in almost a week involving a longboat in the state.

Last Saturday, a longboat ferrying 27 guests from Kampung Tekajong in Daro, Mukah division, was returning from a wedding reception in nearby Kampung Saai when the vessel capsized in Batang Lassa after it was hit by a huge wave.

While 16 passengers survived, 10 were confirmed dead while a 55-year-old man is still missing. Bernama

Firefighters and rescue workers retrieving the sunken longboat at Sungai Sian in Bintangor. Bernama pic

Dr M: Protests aim to provoke govt

Posted: 24 Jan 2014 08:01 AM PST

25 January 2014| last updated at 11:45PM

He was commenting on the increasing number of protests staged by the opposition.

On Sunday, supporters of PKR's de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had rallied and stomped on the Japanese flag in front of the Japanese embassy here to protest against his eviction from Japan. Officials from the embassy, however, had stressed that Anwar failed to fulfil the entry requirements into the country.

On Wednesday, Himpunan Hijau (anti-Lynas activists) had protested outside the Australian High Commission against the rare earth plant.

A minor ruckus followed when the group's chairman, Wong Tack, and others were stopped by security officers.

Dr Mahathir said their stunts were acts of provocation because the opposition sensed that the Barisan Nasional-led government was not as strong as it was before 2008.

"They see the weaknesses and want to capitalise on them," he said after launching a book authored by Dr Muddathir Abd Al-Rahim entitled Hak Asasi Kemanusiaan dalam Tradisi Islam (Human rights in Islamic tradition) at the Malaysian Islamic Centre here yesterday.

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad launching the book penned by Dr Muddathir Abd Al-Rahim (second from right) entitled 'Hak Asasi Kemanusiaan dalam Tradisi Islam' in Kuala Lumpur. Pic by Mohd Khairul Helmy Mohd Din


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Wanted man shot dead

Posted: 24 Jan 2014 08:01 AM PST

25 January 2014| last updated at 11:27PM
By AUDREY DERMAWAN | audreymd@nst.com.my

TAIPING: A TRIGGER-HAPPY criminal, high on police wanted list, was killed in a shoot-out  at Taman Koperasi, Teluk Intan on Thursday.

S. Sasikumar, 31, sought in connection with several shooting and theft cases in Kampar, died on the spot in the 5pm incident. Investigations revealed he was a member of the notorious "04 Gang".

Perak police chief Datuk Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said policemen on their Op Cantas Khas rounds in Kampung Banjar, Teluk Intan spotted the suspect behaving suspiciously in a white Perodua MyVi.

He said the team tried to stop the car, but the suspect sped off to a nearby housing estate.

When they reached Taman Koperasi, the suspect's car skidded.

"As our team approached the car, the suspect came out and fired several shots at them, forcing them to return fire and killing the man instantly," he said, adding that a post-mortem would be carried out at Teluk Intan Hospital.

Acryl Sani said they found a silver-coloured Norinco pistol, several bullets and a packet of ganja on the suspect. The bullets were sent for ballistic testing.

He said the suspect was part of a three-man gang who acted on their own.

One member was already detained, while the other was found shot dead in Kerian district recently.

"The suspect was categorised as trigger-happy, as he would not hesitate to open fire on his victims under any circumstance," he added.

Perak police chief Datuk Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani (second from left) showing the weapon seized from the wanted criminal at Taiping district police headquarters yesterday. Pic by Supian Ahmad

Swedish media highlight case

Posted: 24 Jan 2014 08:01 AM PST

25 January 2014| last updated at 11:46PM

The newspaper went on to say that the couple, who had spent a month in the Swedish jail, were accused of hitting their children for not performing their prayers.

The paper quoted lawyer Timo Manninen, the public defender involved in the child custody of the case, as saying that "it is a terrible situation for parents and children. "When parents are being held in remand, they obviously can't take care of their children". It also quoted leading prosecutors as saying that although the couple were registered as diplomats, diplomatic immunity did not apply in their case.

The couple were being held in separate detention centres on suspicion of gross violation of integrity that took place between June 2011 and December last year.

The Local quoted Shalwati's lawyer, Kristofer Stahre, as saying that preliminary investigations would likely take two or three more weeks. He said it was not the first time a diplomat had been involved in such a case.

Sweden is the first country to introduce a ban on corporal punishment in 1979. Several countries have since followed suit.

The Local also reported that the couple's detention had sparked an outrage in Malaysia, quoting member of parliament N. Surendran as telling an English daily that the actions taken by authorities in Sweden were "disproportionate and extreme".

News of the couple's detention was first carried by Swedish language newspaper Expressen on Thursday, followed by Dagens Nyheter with the headline "Couple with diplomatic passports accused of corporal punishment". By Zaharah Othman

News of the Malaysian couple's detention has been carried by a Swedish media.